Dustin Parker's Monster Mania

Over a decade ago, I was a freelance illustrator for Grantland, a now-defunct sports and pop-culture blog owned and operated by ESPN. Working for Grantland was fun because I got paid to draw Kenny Powers, Walter White and Johnny Utah. The downside to working for Grantland was the extremely tight deadlines. It was common to receive an assignment on a Thursday afternoon that was due Friday morning.     When you are working under a super tight deadline, you don’t have time to brainstorm or incubate ideas. You don’t have time to explore or experiment. You don’t have time to make refinements or fix mistakes. You do the best you can with the time you are given.  When It comes to the Monster Mania series, I serve no master, and I have no deadlines. I’m not in a rush to finish a drawing. I’m allowed to enjoy the process. I’m allowed to play and experiment. I’m allowed to explore multiple paths. I’m allowed to have a deeper conversation with the drawing. I can redraw somethin...

The majority of the creatures showcased in the Monster Mania series are creepy crawlies covered with slime and snot and warts. It is super fun to draw gross and disgusting things, but sometimes I like to draw something pretty. Monsters can be pretty too. 

My mother never heard a diarrhea joke she didn’t love. I not only inherited my mother’s love of toilet humor, but I also inherited her gastrointestinal issues. My mother suffered from Crohn's disease for most of her adult life, and I battled Ulcerative Colitis during my teens and early twenties. When you live with the constant threat of explosive diarrhea, you can’t help but develop a dark sense of humor. You can’t take yourself too seriously when you are constantly pooping your pants.   One day this image of a pooping worm popped into my head, and it gave me a chuckle. It’s a ridiculous thing to imagine and a ridiculous thing to draw. Ridiculous things amuse me.  I think my mother would like this drawing.